The Session
by Not-a-fanatic-just-a-fan
Summary: Karin got called into the counselor's office. Again. Apparently, she's been claiming to see things, like ghosts and monsters and death gods. Oh my. A short one shot just for kicks and giggles.
I was randomly thinking about Karin's situation and realized that this was probably a very real problem, not just for her but for Ichigo too. Review please!

 **Disclaimer** : Did any one see the Toshiro's transformation? Seriously? I'm still fangirling about it. *drool*. I _wish_ I owned him! And, uh, the rest of Bleach and stuff. *ahem* I own nothing. That's all Tite Kubo.

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 **The Session**

"Do you know why you are here, Karin?" The older woman had a kindly smile, perfect make-up and hair, and an outfit that was conservative, yet trendy, yet professional. She was seated on a comfortable chair, a clipboard and pen on her crossed leg. She was relatively new. Almost two months. She was very young, early twenties at most, and the fantasy of many of the schoolboys already. Karin had seen her in the halls lecturing the students with her 'tough' love. She was about a 'tough' as Kon in his plushie version. Less, even. Karin knew Kon could fight if need be.

"Yes." She answered in a bored tone. It was like this every time. Really, she should have been expecting it. The fifteen-year-old Freshman sat on a somewhat comfortable couch with a very bored expression to match her tone. She was slumped against the back of the couch not in an attitude but because she was tired of having to be here.

This wasn't the first time Karin had been sent and/or called to the counselor's office. Because counselors were assigned specific grades, she was sent at least once every new year. Sometimes when there was a new counselor, like now, she was forced to sit through another session. Sometimes it was because Karin said something that was overheard, or her friends did. Sometimes, it was because a counselor happened to look at her record and become overly concerned for her. Like now.

"Oh?" The woman forced her features in a faux surprised expression. The look she tried to hide said that she expected Karin's answer to be something else. Probably some tragic sob story about her life or some other nonsense.

"You probably read my file." Karin said to the unspoken question. The faster this conversation, the faster she could go home. Yuzu had already left to go prepare dinner.

"And what do you think is in your file that would require me to call you in my office?" She asked insincerely. She was obviously trying to make Karin say it. Karin was proud of the fact that she didn't roll her eyes.

"Who knows?" Karin sighed, staring sightlessly out of the window. It was a nice day. She could probably get some of her friends together for a quick game before she had to go in.

"Then why did you assume I had read your file?" Again with the stupid questions. Just give me the lecture and let me go, woman! Visible, Karin only shrugged and continued to stare out the window. A small bird flew by. Lucky.

Realizing that Karin wasn't going to play her game, she pulled Karin's file from off her desk behind her. It wasn't thick but it wasn't empty either. She opened it and pretended to read it. "It says here in your file that you've been in this office quite a few times." She glanced at Karin with brown eyes, no doubt usually described as warm and chocolatey. "It's all for the same basic reason." Again no response. "I don't see that there was any closure on the subject, either."

"They all drop it eventually." Karin spoke up. Maybe this lady would take the hint and let it go too.

"Karin," She said in a tone that she probably thought was motherly. She leaned forward as if to stress that she was with the trapped student, not the warden. "I want you to know that I really do care for you."

Sure you do. Me and that paycheck.

"I was just worried about you."

Worried that I would be a difficult problem.

"I think these… _incidents_ are just symptoms of a larger problem."

'Incidents' huh? Very politically correct. Wouldn't want to hurt my fragile teenage self-esteem.

"I called you here so that you could talk."

And by 'you' do you mean 'you, Karin' or 'you, Sensei'?

"I'm just here to listen."

And lecture.

"So do you want to talk about it?"

Are you actually giving me a choice? "No."

The woman sighed and leaned back, pretending to look sad. "I think it's unhealthy for you to keep this bottled up, Karin."

Looks like it wasn't a real choice. Big surprise.

"You'll never be able to get to the bottom of things and root out the _real_ problem unless you talk."

The root of which you've already discovered, having glanced at my student file that's written by other people.

"Cutting yourself off from discovering the _real_ problem will hurt you in other aspects of your life."

I seem to be just fine so far.

"It might not make itself known now, but when you graduate and get out there to the real world, you'll realize that they aren't as kind as we are."

Cue plug-in about how you are the only one who actually cares.

"I care about you Karin. Really."

And cut. Points for Karin.

"How long have these incidents been happening Karin?"

"What incidents are you referring to, Sensei?" The ones where I beat up the pig-headed bullies because they're too stupid to realize that picking on kids half their size doesn't make them seem any tougher?

"You know which ones." She reopened the file. "There have been several reports from you peers where you have claimed to see ghosts."

So not the bully beat-ups. Are you sure you have your priorities right?

"According to this, you've admitted this yourself several times."

Not on purpose.

"When did you start seeing ghosts Karin?"

Let me guess, you think it's been about since my mom died, right? It's probably because I miss her and haven't fully moved on or accepted her death so I pretend to see ghosts to feel closer to her. Golly, Sensei, I'm so glad that you were able help me see clearly. I'm going to cry on your shoulder till you're satisfied and then be content with a lollipop, a pat on the back, and a new world view.

"Honestly? For as long as I can remember." No use beating around the bush.

"Is there any time that you see them more often than others? Like when you're upset or angry or lonely?"

Or missing mom?

"No. They are where they are. Sometimes they'll be where they died, sometimes they wander around waiting to move on, sometimes they attach themselves to a person or place that meant a lot to them while they were living. Sometimes they are annoying so they follow me around."

The older woman was obviously surprised by how forthcoming Karin was being.

"Maybe you were feeling a particular way without realizing it."

Can't let that theory of mom's death being the cause be disproved.

"Nope. Anytime, anywhere. All shapes and sizes. All situations in life."

This woman wasn't about to give up so easily. "Why do you think that you have this ability? Anyone else you know that can see them as well?"

It took even more effort not to snort in laughter. "My brother. Most of his friends." Including his friends which _are_ ghosts. "My dad, although he will claim he can't. Yuzu can sense them usually, or see a hazy outline on a good day." She shrugged. "I met an old lady that could see them." I was actually led to her _by_ an actual ghost. Huh, it's been a while since he's come around. Everything must be good over there. Or he's dead. Again.

"Your entire family?" Her interest was obviously peaked. Family troubles are a psychiatrist's bread and butter. "And they've all been able to see ghosts as long as you have?"

Really woman, can you be any more obvious?

"They've been able to see ghosts for as long as they've been alive." Especially considering goat chin technically _was_ one. Best not let that little nugget out. This lady would have a heart attack do to excitement.

"Are you sure that that's true? Maybe they've just been saying that to make you feel like you fit in."

Internal groan and eye roll.

"Well, I couldn't very well tell you that, now could I? I only know what they tell me. And they've been saying that for as long as I can remember."

The woman was scribbling away while still trying to maintain eye contact. Probably something they taught her in her psych-classes.

"Did you ever think that you've been claiming to see them to try to fit in with your family?"

Lady, you are seriously reaching.

"Listen." Karin sat up, having enough of this conversation. The woman stopped writing, a glint in her eye, obviously thinking that she just helped her wayward student come to some important insight.

"I realize that you don't believe me. Most people don't. I try really hard to ignore them. I don't go around telling people that I see them. I'm not starving for attention. I don't have family problems. They're crazy and all but they are normal." Ish "I'm not trying to fit in or stand out. I don't have issues with my mom's death. I know that that's where you were going." She held up her hand, stopping the woman from trying to jump in and say something like "But _I_ never mentioned your mother."

"I'm glad that you want to do your job and everything but honestly, you're wasting your time. I'm fine, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I'm not suppressing anything. I'm not secretly in pain. I don't brood, I get good grades, I'm in soccer, I socialize with normal people, I even take down an occasional bully. I've had crushes and been confessed to. I eat good healthy meals at regular intervals. I work hard but know when to have fun. I'm _fine_ , honestly. And right now, I'm tired of you trying to find some problem that doesn't exist anywhere."

Karin stood up. "I don't think we're done here, Karin."

"Well, I do. And you can't stop me. Yuzu's waiting for me at home and my friends are waiting for me at the park. This is pointless and a waste of perfectly good weather. Do us both a favor Sensei, and go home. Tuck my file in some forgotten corner and move on to someone who actually _does_ need your help."

And without another word, Karin walked out, closing the door respectfully behind her.

The school building was mostly empty, only a few students for after school clubs or jobs left, a few teachers milling about. The warm sun beat on Karin's back as she walked nonchalantly towards the park. It was getting late and she no longer had time to hang out with her friends by she might as well let them know. No doubt they were still waiting for her.

Her journey was temporarily halted by the arrival of a hollow nearby. It didn't feel very powerful and Karin had been taking secret lesson from Urahara and Yourichi. She was able to take care of the average low-level hollow by herself now.

She jogged around the corner and saw the greenish oversized form of a hollow, it's white bone mask nondescript. She let a small flare of reiatsu out to draw its attention away from the young spirit that was quaking in the corner. She tossed her bag safely to the side. She learned her lesson after her last bag had been destroyed by a hollow that produced a sticky slime. She had had to redo a whole lot of homework.

Just as she got into a fighting stance, she was interrupted again, this time by a familiar voice behind her.

"What exactly do you think you're doing, Kurosaki?" A certain white-haired Shinigami came up beside her, a trademark scowl on his teenage face, one of his arms reaching behind him for his overly long Zanpakutou.

"Exactly what it looks like." Without waiting for his further argument or for him to draw his sword, she let her reiatsu gather at her feet and hands and launched herself at the hollow. With a reiatsu infused punch, there was a loud crack and the hollow faded away, before it could even let out its unearthly scream.

"That's not your job, Kurosaki. You could get seriously hurt trying to take them on."

"Aww, are you worried about me, Toshiro?"

"It's Hitsugaya-taicho!" Was the knee-jerk reaction. He drew his sword and approached the still quaking soul. He didn't bother with any comforting, simply stamped his forehead and sheathed his sword before turning to glare at Karin who had gone to collect her school bag. "You should leave Shinigami duties to the Shinigami."

She shrugged and continued her walk towards the park. "I would if you guys were better at your jobs."

"Excuse me?" He asked, falling into step beside her, obviously insulted.

"I'm just calling it like I see it."

"What are you even doing? Didn't your school get out ages ago?"

Her mood instantly darkened as she recalled the 'session' she had just come from. "It's all your fault anyway."

"What?" He was obviously confused.

"We got a new counselor. She called me in because I'm claiming to see ghosts."

"Ah." He nodded and fell silent. No other explanation necessary.

"You know what?" Karin halted suddenly, an idea popping into her head. "I know how to fix it!"

"What?" He raised a brow, wary. Any idea from a Kurosaki was one that had to be approached with caution.

She grinned at Toshiro. "You come with me to the next session!"

He gave her a dead-pan stare. "And how exactly would that solve anything?"

"I'll tell her that there's a ghost and then you move some stuff around freaking her out and then she'll have to stop calling me in!" Her eyes glittered as she saw the possibility of freedom so close.

"I don't think so." He snorted and continued to walk. She hurried to catch up with him, a frown on her face.

"Why not? It's the perfect plan! I can be in and out in five minutes! You can't spare a measly few minutes for an old friend?" She pouted, trying to get sympathy points. Or guilt points. Either one.

"That's not the issue here." He shook his head. "It's a waste of time."

"That's exactly my problem!" Karin shouted exasperated.

He glared at her. "I _meant_ , it's a waste of _my_ time. Five minutes helping you get out of a counseling session is five minutes that could be spent taking down a hollow somewhere."

Karin rolled her eyes. "Relax. I know that if you're here, that means that other people are here too. You can spare five minutes. The world won't explode if the infallible Hitsugaya-taicho isn't there 24/7 to save the day. Besides, it's Ichi-nii that usually ends up saving the day anyway."

This earned her a silent glare. He couldn't really argue that because it was true.

"Fine." She gave a whoop of success. "But only five minutes."

She grinned happily, practically skipping now. "That's all I need Toshiro."

"It's Hitsugaya-taicho!"

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Just for funsies. I'm having a temporary block on my other stories so I wrote this to try and keep my brain loose and running. Hopefully I'll be able to get the outline for my AVOS story. Reviews help!


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